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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25418827">Phone Calls</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ryttu3k/pseuds/ryttu3k'>ryttu3k</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Simstagram Side Stories [8]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Sims (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst with a Happy Ending, Dialogue-Only, Embedded Images, Epistolary, M/M, Multi, Other, Panic Attacks, Past Drug Addiction, Phone Calls &amp; Telephones, Polyamory, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Travel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 04:53:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,616</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25418827</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ryttu3k/pseuds/ryttu3k</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Johnny goes on his first tour.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Caleb Vatore/Johnny Zest, Morgyn Ember/Caleb Vatore</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Simstagram Side Stories [8]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1643032</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Phone Calls</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written as a side story for my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/calebvvatore/">Simstagram</a> for Caleb.</p><p>Content warnings: references to past drug addiction, trauma and PTSD, panic attacks, mild sexual content.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <i>Britechester<br/>
13th July 2018, 11:38 PM</i>
</p><p>"Hey, babe!"</p><p>"Hey! I'm still at the pub, sorry if you hear like... background noises and stuff."</p><p>
  
</p><p>"Haha, it's fine. How was the Britechester crowd?"</p><p>"Good, good! Man, you'd love it up here, there's this really cool gastro pub we had dinner at."</p><p>"Ooh, maybe we can go up some time?"</p><p>"Yeah! Maybe in winter? The check-in guy at the hotel said it's gorgeous when it's all snowy."</p><p>"Yeah! And I could get some damn cute winter gear."</p><p>"Anything you wear is damn cute."</p><p>"Haha. Flatterer."</p><p>"It's true! But yeah, I'm gonna go head back to the hotel. I'll be back in tomorrow around 11 AM or something."</p><p>"Cool, I'll see you then. Got lots of kisses saved for you!"</p><p>"I can't wait! Night, Cay."</p><p>"Night. Love you!"</p><p>"Love you too!"</p><p> </p><p>
  <i>Del Sol Valley<br/>
16th July 2018, 12:04 AM</i>
</p><p>"Hey."</p><p>"Hey yourself! How, um, how's Del Sol?"</p><p>"So yeah, it went okay. I'm still... super on edge, but Dad actually decided to step up. He went to the show, then we went out for dinner and he took me back to the hotel."</p><p>"Oh! Okay, that's good! That's good, right?"</p><p>"Yeah! Yeah, it is."</p><p>"Okay, so... good."</p><p>"It's still... weird, I guess. Just because of all that history, y'know? But he's making up for it."</p><p>
  
</p><p>"Seriously, he'd fuckin' better after all that shit."</p><p>"I'm sort of... at the point of realising that <i>she</i> was really controlling towards him as well. So like... getting away from her is doing him good as well. You know he's changed his name back?"</p><p>"Oh, yeah?"</p><p>"Yeah. When he married, he took <i>her</i> name because being a Landgraab is more <i>prestigious</i> or some bullshit like that. But now he's actually gone back to being Geoffrey Summerhill."</p><p>"Oh, huh! You could be like... Johnny Summerhill, if you wanted."</p><p>"Yeah, he offered! Pretty sure I'm not going to, I like who I am."</p><p>"I like who you are too!"</p><p>
  
</p><p>"Haha. I had <i>no</i> idea."</p><p>"Hee. So, another night in Del Sol, then Lucky Palms next, right?"</p><p>"Yeah. Dad's going to come along to that one too. It's all casinos and gambling and shit, so there's a big, you know, big drug scene there."</p><p>"Ugh. Glad he's looking out for you."</p><p>"Yeah. Thankfully The Creep hasn't shown up yet."</p><p>"I swear, if he does, you'd totally be within rights to punch him."</p><p>"I think that's technically assault. On the other hand, it's not like he'd have much ground to stand on. 'So why did you get punched?' 'Oh yeah I totally used to deal to him when he was sixteen.' Like. Yeah."</p><p>"You could punch him <i>in spirit</i>."</p><p>"I totally will. Okay, I better get ready for bed."</p><p>"Okay. Love you! Stay safe!"</p><p>"Will do. Love you too."</p><p>
  
</p><p>"Night."</p><p>"Night."</p><p> </p><p>
  <i>Del Sol Valley<br/>
17th July 2018, 12:47 AM</i>
</p><p>"Hey. So guess who was at the bar after the show tonight."</p><p>"The Creep?"</p><p>"The fucking Creep."</p><p>"Damn. Are you okay?"</p><p>"Yeah. Yeah, it's fine. I talked to Dad a bunch, just... you know, random shit. Just to keep my mind of stuff."</p><p>"That's good. Did it help?"</p><p>"Mm. A bit. He stayed a bit when we got back to the hotel and I told him a lot of the negative shit about that time and just..."</p><p>"Yeah?"</p><p>"I think I had to, like... remind myself how <i>bad</i> it got. Like - just - the being high bit, for all I was... yeah. The bad parts were really... bad. Sorry."</p><p>"It's okay. It's okay, it was a really rough time."</p><p>"Yeah. Yeah."</p><p>"Mm."</p><p>"Hey, Cay?"</p><p>"Yeah?"</p><p>"I'm gonna go shower and get ready for bed, but like... can I call you back after? And just... keep talking until I fall asleep?"</p><p>"Yeah, of course!"</p><p>"Okay. Call you back in half an hour or so. Love you."</p><p>"Love you too. Talk soon."</p><p> </p><p>
  <i>Lucky Palms<br/>
17th July 2018, 11:28 PM</i>
</p><p>"Hey!"</p><p>"Hey! How did it go?"</p><p>"Yeah, not bad! I think they're more used to flashy shit here, they have Cirque du Lune and stuff, but they seemed pretty receptive."</p><p>"Cool, cool!"</p><p>"And the managed offered me some free casino credit and I just took one look and noped out."</p><p>"Oh! Okay - is that good?"</p><p>"Yeah, probably for the best. Don't need to get another addiction!"</p><p>"Heh..."</p><p>"It's okay, you can laugh at that. Besides, I'm out of Del Sol now, and Dad was really good again tonight. So that's the hard bit over!"</p><p>"Yeah! You, uh, going to be okay when you go east?"</p><p>"Should be. Hopefully. It's like - with Del Sol, there were reminders everywhere, you know? But I've never been to Miniopolis or Roaring Heights, and I only went to Bridgeport when I was a lot younger, so it doesn't have the same, like..."</p><p>"Triggers?"</p><p>"Yeah, triggers, exactly."</p><p>"Well, if you need, you can absolutely call me, okay? And we can talk like we did last night."</p><p>"Yeah. Thank you so much for that, it seriously helped."</p><p>"Oh man, any time. You know that, right? Any time."</p><p>"Yeah. Yeah, I know. Watcher, I love you."</p><p>"I love you too!"</p><p>"I love you more!"</p><p>"I love you most!"</p><p>"This is so sappy, haha."</p><p>"Hehe, it is!"</p><p>"Oh, by the way, I like the pictures you posted!"</p><p>"Oh! Thanks! I actually took them last night, before you called."</p><p>"You looked adorable."</p><p>"I'm always adorable."</p><p>"Hell yeah. So, um..."</p><p>"Yeah?"</p><p>"Is everything okay?"</p><p>"...Yeah?"</p><p>"You sure? Like, that last line - 'it's not so lonely' - are you doing okay?"</p><p>"I'm fine. I'm fine, I promise. Just focus on the tour, okay? I'm fine."</p><p>
  
</p><p>"...Okay. But, you know, you can talk to me too, you know?"</p><p>"Yeah, I do. I'm fine."</p><p>"Okay. ...Sorry."</p><p>"It's okay."</p><p>"Mm. ...Okay. I should probably go, then. Got, like, three flights tomorrow."</p><p>"Ew, really?"</p><p>"Yeah, the schedule is pretty messed up. Lucky Palms to Del Sol, then Del Sol to Roaring Heights, then Roaring Heights to Miniopolis. Then the day after it's Miniopolis back to Roaring Heights."</p><p>"Then Bridgeport!"</p><p>"Yeah, and at least I can get a direct Bridgeport to San My flight on the twenty-second!"</p><p>"Six flights left. And five more nights. Not that I'm counting."</p><p>"Not that I'm counting either, heh."</p><p>"But yeah. Night! Love you!"</p><p>"Love you too! Night!"</p><p> </p><p>
  <i>Miniopolis<br/>
19th July 2018, 12:17 AM</i>
</p><p>"Heyyy."</p><p>"Hey! Oh wow, you sound exhausted, are you okay?"</p><p>"Mm-hmm. Just a looong day. Three flights <i>and</i> the show. Watcher, I'll be glad when this is over."</p><p>"Damn. But it's been good, otherwise? Like - you're getting lots of good response, right?"</p><p>"Yeah. Yeah, it's good career-wise, it's just... you know. A slog."</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>"And I miss you."</p><p>"I miss you too."</p><p>"Only three and a half days to go and I'll be home."</p><p>"I hope you don't mind PDA, because I'm gonna give you so many kisses at the airport."</p><p>"Oh good, you better not hold back!"</p><p>"..."</p><p>"Cay, you alright?"</p><p>"Yeah, I was just thinking. It's all good."</p><p>"Oh... okay. Do you need to talk?"</p><p>"No, I'm good. I'll let you sleep now, okay?"</p><p>"Yeah. I'll talk to you tomor-- oh shit, it's already past midnight. I'll call you tonight. Or early tomorrow. Whatever happens."</p><p>"Yeah. Roaring Heights tonight, right?"</p><p>"Yeah. Then two nights in Bridgeport, then <i>home</i>."</p><p>"I'll see you then!"</p><p>"Yeah. Night, Cay. Love you."</p><p>"Love you too."</p><p>"Night."</p><p>"Night."</p><p> </p><p>
  <i>Roaring Heights<br/>
19th July 2018, 11:53 PM</i>
</p><p>"Hey! I made it before midnight!"</p><p>"Haha, nice! How was the show?"</p><p>"Really good! We should totally come here one day, they apparently have a really good fashion scene."</p><p>"Ooh, yeah, and some great art deco architecture."</p><p>"Yeah! Also some really nice restaurants. Lots of nice fancy shit."</p><p>"Ooh. Okay, we're definitely taking a vacation. I need to get my fancy on."</p><p>"We could do Roaring Heights <i>and</i> Bridgeport. It's the biggest city on the east coast, so it has, like, everything. Oh man, I actually heard a rumour it has full-on vampire bars?"</p><p>"...Huh."</p><p>"Yeah. So that could be really interesting!"</p><p>"Yeah, just... if you go check them out, be really careful, okay?"</p><p>"I'll be fine. I won't go on my own, promise."</p><p>"Okay, well... okay. That's good."</p><p>"Mm... sorry."</p><p>"For what?"</p><p>"I don't know, you seemed kind of bothered."</p><p>"It's okay. It's nothing."</p><p>"Mm... yeah, okay. If you're sure."</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>"...Anyway. My flight is pretty early tomorrow - oh, today, now - so I better go, okay?"</p><p>"Yeah. Okay, sleep well!"</p><p>"Night, Cay. Love you."</p><p>"Love you too. Night."</p><p> </p><p>
  <i>Bridgeport<br/>
20th July 2018, 10:38 PM</i>
</p><p>"Hey!"</p><p>"Hey yourself! You're calling early!"</p><p>"Yeah, wanted to check in. Some of the others on the tour are going clubbing, so I didn't want to call too late."</p><p>"Oh. Will you be okay?"</p><p>"Yeah. Yeah, I'll be fine. One of the others has dealt with the same shit, so we're going to look out for each other."</p><p>"Okay, good! That's good. But you know you can call me if you need to, okay? For anything?"</p><p>"Yeah, I know. Thank you."</p><p>"Love you, Johnny."</p><p>"Love you too. I'll probably crash when I get back, so I'll talk to you tomorrow night, 'kay?"</p><p>"Okay. Text me in the morning or something?"</p><p>"Will do."</p><p>"Thanks."</p><p>"Night! Love you!"</p><p>"Love you too!"</p><p> </p><p>
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  <i>Bridgeport<br/>
21st July 2018, 3:27 AM</i>
</p><p>"Hey - I'm sorry, I just - sorry -"</p><p>"Cay? Hey, hey hey hey are you okay? What's wrong, are you -?"</p><p>"I'm - sorry, I -"</p><p>"<i>Caleb</i> - it's okay, take deep breaths, it'll help - are you - you didn't... <i>hurt</i> yourself, did you?"</p><p>"No - no, sorry, I'm just... god, I'm just... a mess, and I wanted to - I'm sorry, you were probably sleeping or something, I shouldn't have called -"</p><p>"No, no, hey, it's okay, you can talk to me any time, okay? Any time, I swear. Are you hurt at all?"</p><p>"N-no, just - not hurt physically, I'm just..."</p><p>"Cay?"</p><p>"...not good. I'm not doing good."</p><p>"I - thank you for calling me. Okay? You're doing the right thing. We can talk about it, or just... hang out, or whatever. Whatever you need."</p><p>"I just..."</p><p>"Take your time. I'm not gonna go anywhere."</p><p>"I'm - not doing well on - on my own. I can't... deal. I just keep - it's too quiet - I just keep thinking I'm -"</p><p>"It's okay. There's no rush."</p><p>"I keep... thinking I'm back in that room. At Straud's. And I'm a-all alone and - and any minute <i>She's</i> going to come back a-and - and I wouldn't leave even if I could be-because I was a monster now so I deserved to suffer and - and -"</p><p>"You're not a monster, Caleb. You don't deserve to suffer. You're a wonderful, compassionate, kind human being and you deserve to be <i>happy</i>."</p><p>
  
</p><p>"I - know that intellectually, it's just - being alone a-and my mind is <i>screaming</i> at me and it <i>won't stop</i>! And I can't call Lilith, it's not safe to just call her unexpectedly, and I can't call Mum or Dad because Mum needs her rest a-and they don't - I don't want them to know h-how fucked up I am, and - I'm sorry, I'm sorry I called so late, I didn't know what - who - I'm sorry -"</p><p>"It's okay. It's okay. I'm glad you called me. Do you want me to cancel the last show and come home today? Will you be okay for a few more hours?"</p><p>"No! This is your first tour! I - I don't want you to ruin it because I'm too fucked up to deal with being alone!"</p><p>"You're not fucked up, you have PTSD. It's not a weakness. It's a disorder that you're fighting. Okay?"</p><p>
  
</p><p>"I - okay - I'm sorry -"</p><p>"Caleb..."</p><p>"..."</p><p>"...You should call Morgyn."</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"You know them now. They barely sleep. They'll probably be up, <i>and</i> they can teleport and be there really soon, right?"</p><p>"Yeah..."</p><p>"So... yeah, you should call them. And - maybe they can help <i>distract</i> you from your thoughts a bit, y'know?"</p><p>"Johnny..."</p><p>"Like - I know when we were talking about all that stuff, that I wasn't sure about you guys doing stuff together while I'm not there, right? But in this case, you need someone, and they can be there for you, and - yeah. I care about <i>you</i>. I want you to be happy and to be okay. And if Morgyn can do that for you, then please, please call them instead of suffering alone."</p><p>
  <br/>

</p><p>"I - are you sure?"</p><p>"Yeah. I'm sure. Just - heh - tell me the juicy details later, yeah? And have fun, and be happy."</p><p>"I - wow, okay. Thank you. I love you so fucking much."</p><p>"I love you too. Go call them, okay? And I'll be be back before you know it, I promise."</p><p>"Okay. Okay. I'll call them."</p><p>"Okay! Call me back when you're done and let me know what's happening? And if they can't come, we can keep talking."</p><p>"Okay. Love you."</p><p>"Love you too. Talk to you soon."</p><p>
  <br/>

</p><p> </p><p>
  <i>Bridgeport<br/>
21st July 2018, 3:48 AM</i>
</p><p>"Hey."</p><p>"Hey. So what's happening?"</p><p>"Yeah, they can come over. They'll be here in a few minutes. Teleportation is really handy, heh."</p><p>"Man, tell me about it, I could avoid all these flights! Have fun, okay?"</p><p>"...Hehe."</p><p>"Hm?"</p><p>"I'm just... thinking about how weird it is that my boyfriend basically told me to call someone else to fuck the sad out of me."</p><p>"Haha, when you put it that way..."</p><p>"Yeah. Heh. It's... really okay?"</p><p>"It really is. Have fun, you crazy kids!"</p><p>"I think they're like fifty years older than you, haha."</p><p>"Heh, close enough. But yeah, talk to you tonight. Love you, Cay."</p><p>"I love you too. Night. And thank you."</p><p> </p><p>
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  <i>Bridgeport<br/>
21st July 2018, 11:06 AM</i>
</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <i>Bridgeport<br/>
21st July 2018, 11:38 PM</i>
</p><p>"Sooooo?"</p><p>"It went well, heh."</p><p>"I could tell from your texts!"</p><p>"Yeah, haha. So. Yeah. Everything still okay?"</p><p>"I should probably be asking <i>you</i> that. I'm still cool with it, if that's what you're wondering. How are you doing?"</p><p>"I'm doing good! Like. Wow."</p><p>"That good, huh?"</p><p>".........four times."</p><p>"...damn. Are they, like... open to more participants?"</p><p>"Haha! Um, I can totally ask!"</p><p>"Oh man I was kidding but... well, mostly kidding... but okay, damn, I'm glad it helped!"</p><p>"Hehe, yeah."</p><p>"Tell Morgyn when I get back I'm gonna give them a huge hug, okay?"</p><p>"Oh?"</p><p>"Because they helped you. And they make you happy. And that's... good shit, you know?"</p><p>"Yeah. Yeah. Watcher, I love you."</p><p>"Love you too. And tell Morgyn I say thank you for being there. Oh, hey!"</p><p>"Hmm?"</p><p>"This is that compersion thing, right? The whole... being happy because your lover is happy with someone else, kinda thing."</p><p>"Oh, yeah, I think so! So you're... really good with it all, huh?"</p><p>"Yeah. I love you, and I'm grateful to Morgyn that they could be with you, and I'm just... really happy for you because damn that sounded like fun, but also, just... being with you. Helping you. Making you happy."</p><p>"I swear I would be blushing if I still had a pulse."</p><p>"Haha. But yeah. I think this really could work."</p><p>"Yeah. Yeah, me too. Like - I have a lot of feelings for Morgyn, but I'm also still so... super in love with you. It's not a replacement, it's an addition."</p><p>"Yeah. Yeah, we're gonna make this work. And when I land in... less than twelve hours, I'm gonna give you a huge kiss and give Morgyn a huge hug."</p><p>"Hehe. Whatever will the paparazzi say?"</p><p>"Let 'em talk. I just had a great tour and I'm coming home to my gorgeous happy boyfriend and his lover. I'm cool with it!"</p><p>"Nice. Okay, that's - okay, nice. Haha."</p><p>"I'll see you tomorrow morning!"</p><p>"Counting down the minutes. Love you, Johnny."</p><p>"Love you too, Cay. Night."</p><p>"Night."</p>
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